In a preferred embodiment, the present invention is intended to be used with thermoelectric coolers (TECs). The theory of operation behind TECs is well known and does not form a material part of the present invention, and therefore will not be covered in great detail herein. Suffice it to say that TECs are solid state devices that use the cooling effect caused by applying a voltage differential across two dissimilar, joined metals. A TEC is generally divided into a top stage and a bottom stage. When the top stage is cooled, the bottom stage is heated such that there are net differential expansions created in the TEC relative to its external surroundings. Because TECs are relatively fragile and subject to contact with its surroundings so that it is protected from external loading due to thermal expansion and/or externally applied loads.
In the prior art, such stress protection has been achieved with very expensive devices known as thermal straps. The prior art thermal straps are typically fabricated from expensive, flexible woven silver fabric material. These woven silver thermal straps are very expensive because of the need for complicated assembly fixtures, as well as the need for assembly techniques such as custom vacuum electron-beam welding. Moreover, the thermal resistance of the woven silver thermal straps is relatively high, typically in the neighborhood of 10.degree. C. temperature increase for each watt of heat transmitted through the thermal strap.